An open letter to President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya
9 min read‘‘In loving your neighbors and caring for them, you’re on a journey to saving God,’’ St Augustine
By Dak Buoth, Nairobi, Kenya
November 6, 2016 (SSB) — Your Excellency Habari yako. You’re a leader of New Kenya or sometime we call it ‘Kenya Mpyia’ a home for all of us. The advert on the Airline saying ‘Kenya a pride of Africa’ is not only commercial but a reality. This small country became a pride of Africa soon after the promulgation of the new Constitution 2010. I was among the first 50 attendees who arrived early at Uhuru Park the time it was enacted. I truly believe if you respect this law and other statutes to the letter and spirit, Kenya will become more, safer, great and a better place for all than it used to be.
I presumed you’re still IGAD Rapporteur on South Sudan, and I wish to address you in that capacity. Mr. President, I wish to address you again for the second times. I first wrote to you an open letter on 1st June 2015, the piece was published on the Standard newspaper. I guessed you and or your office had perused it as I anticipated. Copy of the same is still available online. You will agree, when someone keeps talking to you, it means he or she likes one or two things in you for one reason or another. So please do have soft spot on us. Do heed what we tell you, and spare us a breath when you find no substance in what we say. The fact is that, we must coexist in spite of our social status, and the disparities in our intelligence and knowledge.
When I wrote to you last year, I was very free unlike today. Right now I have good reasons to feel fidgeted or afraid due change of hearts. Mr. President, it was not my choice to be in exile, but it is my choice to be in Kenya, so be others. It is not the first time for one to live in exile or be in detention unlawfully. A person like me can be in exile, or can be arrested illegally for championing a right cause. In any event, when one runs to Kenya for safety, she or he should get a shelter and be accorded all the rights he deserved, including right to justice.
We have learned that Kenya is good example of countries that have had high number of detainees who once lived in exile or detained incommunicado. To mention but a few, your Father Jomo Kenyatta was said to have once been arrested for fighting freedom and also former immediate Chief Justice Dr. Willy Mutunga was imprisoned and forced into exile for advancing democracy and this new constitution that we’re proud of today, so be me in my country.
The Statement you made on 3rd November 2016 that you will discontinue or disengage Kenya on South Sudan peace talk sound as if you don’t want us in Kenya too. As such, we could be prone to anything fishy here. Your statement made us feel unsecure and unprotected more than ever before, so be Kenyans in South Sudan. Hence something should be done to restore fading hope among our people.
I know what prompted your anger. I understood something went wrong, and we all know who the causative is. The question is, why you are trying to run away from solving your problem, African Problem, regional problem, global problem. Remember, if not you, who else will fix this human error. Kindly turn your back, and lets us face this challenge head on. No excuses and no blame game. Rethink and let’s correct the wrong done altogether. Bypassing a problem is in itself is a failure. By virtue of the fact that Kenya is our neighbor, and that it is able to do what it can, you must not escape taking part in the quest for peace in South Sudan.
The decision to disengage Kenya on South Sudan peace dialogue is incumbent on the people, and I know Kenyans and South Sudanese downtrodden who look up unto you will not accept your disengagement claims. I challenge you to retract, rejoin your counterparts in the region. Carry Kenya on your head to secure and protect our region from these roaming, ruthless dictators, and warlords in our midst.
I know you’re not a dictator neither do you wish to be one. All I know was that you’re thirsty for peoples’ power. You had requested that power from Kenyans to serve Kenyans and to carry with you the burdens of Africans and the world at large.
I urge you to rescind your decision unconditionally. Let Kenya continue to engaging in the peace process in South Sudan. Let our army forces, the KDF continue with their peace mission in South Sudan without preconditions. Let Kenya contribute armed forces to the proposed protection forces that are expected soon in South Sudan. This is for the benefit of both South Sudanese in captivity and the Kenyan Workers there.
The ‘wrong’ was the dismissal of Gen. Kimani Ondieki by Banki Moon fortnight ago. As an appointing authority, I appreciated and bear with your feelings; you have all the rights to react in manner deemed appropriate and in accordance with the law.
In my view, it is Banki Moon himself that should quit the job, and General Kimani should come last. Mr. Banki Moon and the larger UN assembly have failed terribly in promoting world peace through justice and honest dialogue. As such, Mr. Banki Moon should just swallow his pride and resign now before his tenure expires. The big fish at UN have been massaging the egos of the warring parties in South Sudan without pointing fingers on the real culprits who are perpetuating gross human right violation.
I’m of the opinion that General Kimani be reinstated as head of UNIMISS in South Sudan, and we’re going to push for that. In the recent UN report, it vividly tells which militia groups attack civilians in Juba on 8th July 2016, and thus, if Banki Moon seriously knew what he was doing, he would have first confront the commanders that ordered the killing and raping of civilians, because there are empirical evidences showing who these perpetrators are. UN secretary General should not come for those who are alleged to have not performed exemplary in protecting those victims.
I equally regretted the dismissal of General Kimani Ondieki. I agree with you that, his sacking was scapegoat to cover the rots at UNIMISS. We know General Kimani has only spent few weeks in Juba. Right before General Kimani became head of UNIMISS in May this year, systematic and brutal attacks were carried out in broad day light at UN protection camp in Bor town in 2014, in the direct watch of UNIMISS soldiers.
Secondly, prior to the Juba Massacre in 2013; civilians houses were marked and located before the rogue and marauding soldiers slaughtered them in cold blood, and UNIMISS did little about these gruesome murders.
Thirdly, in 2015, two UN protection camps were attacked in Wau and Malakal consecutively by government forces resulting to massive loss of civilians’ lives. I can go on and on.
In view of the foregoing, I asked myself, why then did Banki Moon fails to purge Kimani’s predecessor for not protecting civilians. Thus, we can conclude that Banki moon was not only unjust in his decision but also subjective in his approach. I think he want to create protracted problem between members state that would be inherit by his successor. He knew his time as UN secretary General is up, only one month remaining. His decision to sack General Kimani was not only provocative but reckless.
Notwithstanding, Banki Moon’s unilateral decision should not warrant us to vent our emotion on each other for we’re innocent, and not privy to this uncouth action. Largely, we shouldn’t invent unnecessary animosity between our two sisterly countries.
In my view, Kenya’s withdrawal, amount to unjustified punishment to wailing South Sudanese citizenry who are yearning for peace’s return in South Sudan. In the absence of Kenya, We cannot get another substitute to replace you. As a solution, we must only challenge Banki Moon through right channels with decisive decisions, and in manner which does not compromised our individual’s rights or the relation between South Sudan and Kenya.
Mr. President, Inasmuch as i condemn Mr. Banki Moon for what he did to General Kimani, I also blame you for deporting one of our compatriots in the person of James Gatdet Dak who was only expressing his reaction on the same; was it because Mr. Banki Moon is too big to be confronted that we’re not releasing our anger on each other?
Mr. President, I beg you to pardon James Gatdet Dak, my namesake. I do not know him personally, and I believe he doesn’t know me as well. What I know is that I came to Kenya before him. I understood his deportation was linked to the comment he posted on Social media which was misunderstood to mean that he applauded the dismissal of General Kiman Ondieki.
When I perused and meditated over his remarks, I realized he was not really supporting the dismissal of General Kimani as an individual. I think he was only appreciating and welcoming the official acknowledgement that UNIMISS had failed to protect civilians in South Sudan, and that failure started way back in 2013.
Therefore, if you did believe that his comment amount to offend against Kenyan state, we concur with you, but please accord him your mercy. Don’t condemn him to death. Forgive him. President Kenyatta 1 said, let us forgive but let us not forget. To be honest, If he dies in Juba, it would not be good I tell you brother. Kindly order James Gatdet to be brought back to Kenya or he be taken to another country of his choice.
On one hand, despite Gatdet Dak being a foreigner in Kenya, I think he can still enjoy the rights and freedom of expression enshrined in the new constitution. I associated this case to a story of Daniel in the Bible who was sent to lion dents, even though Daniel survive, the King had already killed him. It was like you have sent him to the dent of hungry lions that are blood thirsty. And we’re praying for miracle to closes the Jaws of those in Juba before they took his dear life.
Mr. President, it is not too late to do what is necessary. I urge you to recall back James Gadet Dak. You’re the complaint and I know if you withdraw the case, those guys in Juba will not defy your orders. In 2014, you spearhead the release order of the 11 SPLM detainees, and they’re now alive. Go to Juba to bring back Gatdet Dak. I guessed you do not wish him dead.
When we heard of his arrest and subsequent deportation to Juba, Vast South Sudanese community in Kenya expected that you would have held him here in Nairobi or deported him elsewhere except Juba if you so wish.
Mr. President, I assumed Gatdet is not an enemy of this state. I believe he is potential person who will help us build and strengthen the bridge between the South Sudanese and Kenyan people. And if he dies in the hand of this rogue SPLM regime, it will cause us dearly. #RESCUEGATDETDAK
The Writer can be reached for comments via eligodakb@yahoo.com
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